Department of Water
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
State
Water
Recycling
Strategy
An Overview
June 2008
Broome
golf course
irrigated
with recycled
water
FOREWoRD
Climate change and a growing
population mean that Western
Australia can no longer rely solely
on traditional sources of water.
Finding alternative water sources
is a priority for government and all
possible sources must be tried and
tested to determine feasible options
– environmentally, economically
and socially.
The State water plan 2007 outlined
the state government’s commitment
to strategically and effectively manage
our limited and vital water resources.
The need for a state water recycling
strategy was identified within this plan.
Our government, in partnership with
stakeholders, has now developed
the State water recycling strategy to
explore and determine how recycled
water can be safely incorporated
across the range of water use sectors.
We believe that recycled water has
an important part to play in Western
Australia’s water future, and this
strategy is a first step towards
understanding how we can make the
most of this resource.
Launching this strategy sparks an
investigation into recycled water
as an alternative water source for
industry, agriculture, residential
use, public open space and drinking
water. Investigation needs to be
under-way now to ensure this
resource is used to its full potential.
Some forms of water recycling
are already in operation. Regional
Western Australia has long used
it to irrigate sporting ovals, and
industry in the Kwinana district is
currently recycling large volumes of
water. However, there are many other
options to consider.
While recycling will not be the only
solution to the state’s water needs, it
is one in a range of initiatives we need
to explore to create a sustainable water
future for the generations to come.
It is vital to government’s strategy of
security through diversity, and as such
government has committed over
$3 million to implement this strategy.
We commend the State water
recycling strategy to you for
consideration.
Hon Alan Carpenter MLA
Premier Western Australia
Hon John Kobelke MLA
Minister For Water Resources
A
waterwise
garden
Recycling – a priority for government
The demand for water
The need to recycle water
The continued development of WA,
in terms of both population and the
economy, means that demand for
water is increasing, despite demand
management actions.
The drought experienced in Western
Australia in 2001 highlighted the
drying climate and the need to secure
alternative water supply sources.
The Perth region receives its scheme
water from the Integrated Water Supply
Scheme. Water comes from a number
of sources, including groundwater,
surface water (dams) and, more
recently, desalination. Large volumes
of groundwater are used in the Perth
region for public open space irrigation,
agriculture and industry.
The Department of Water is
undertaking significant work to reform
the way we plan for and manage
water in Western Australia. This
includes the development of regional
water plans. For more information see
<www.water.wa.gov.au> Planning
the water future>.
In parallel with this, the Water
Corporation is also developing a
strategy called Water Forever, to
secure water and wastewater service
delivery to Perth and the surrounding
areas for the next 50 years. For more
information, visit the Water Forever
website at <www.watercorporation.
com.au> Waterforever>.
To continue to meet the demand
for water, alternative water supplies
are needed to supplement existing
resources.
Key reasons to recycle water:
• Recycled water can be used for
applications that require lower
quality water, thus conserving high
quality water for high value uses.
• Wastewater as a source for
recycling is climate independent,
and is available any time of year.
• The volume of wastewater
available for recycling is growing
as the state grows.
• The recycling process draws
on less energy than some other
sources, such as desalination.
• Recycling improves both short-term
and long-term water supply security.
• As the cost of major new
scheme sources rises, the cost
effectiveness of using recycled
water improves.
Irrigation of
McGillivray Oval
using recycled
water
COMMUNITY SUPPORT
As part of the development of this State water recycling strategy, information
was collected from the Perth community about their attitude towards, and
current understanding of water recycling. A survey of 410 people found:
• overall community support for water recycling was very high, with
91 per cent of greater Perth metropolitan residents supportive of water
recycling
• the community prioritised the increased use of recycled water for industry,
followed by households (for non-drinking purposes) and public open space
• 92 per cent agreed that the state government should require more water
recycling by industry.
Water recycling is the multiple
use of water, usually sourced from
wastewater (also known as sewage)
or stormwater, after it has been
treated to a standard appropriate for
its intended use.
Wastewater is water that carries
wastes from businesses, industries
and homes. It is a mixture of water and
dissolved or suspended solids. The
water from homes includes the water
flushed down toilets, and water from
the bath, sink, washing machine and
other domestic sources.
Stormwater is water that
accumulates on land as a result of
rainfall or storms, and in urban areas
can include runoff from roads and
roofs. In Western Australia, much
of the stormwater and drainage
water soaks down into groundwater
systems. The water that enters the
ground may have environmental
value or be accessed later by bores
to irrigate sporting grounds, gardens
or parks. More information about
stormwater is available from at
<www.water.wa.gov.au> Water
management> Stormwater>.
In Western Australia stormwater is
largely available in winter, whereas
the demand for water is highest
in summer. The challenge facing
stormwater harvesting is storing
the water in sufficient volumes until
the time that it is required. Failing
that, infiltration of stormwater where
it falls, where suitable, offers an
opportunity to recharge superficial
groundwater aquifers.
Treatment of wastewater
Regardless of the source, water to
be recycled must be fit-for-purpose.
This means that it must be treated to
an appropriate level for its intended
final use.
Wastewater is transported from
where it is produced to a wastewater
treatment plant for processing to a
different level depending on whether
the water will be disposed of (to the
ocean or into aquifers) or recycled for
a specific purpose.
Additional treatment stages are
applied, depending on how the
water will be used. For example,
if people are to come into contact
with recycled water (such as on an
irrigated sports ground), a higher
level of treatment is needed than
for recycled water used in subsurface irrigation (such as dripper
lines buried under the soil for
horticulture). Generally, the higher
the level of treatment, the more
expensive it is.
Water for recycling
The State water recycling strategy
focuses on wastewater sourced from
treatment plants; it is available all year
round, the volume is growing, and
most is currently being discharged
into the ocean. Treated wastewater is a
climate-independent resource, which
means that it isn’t reliant on rainfall.
Around 115 gigalitres of wastewater
is currently available for recycling in
Perth, increasing by two to three per
cent per year, regardless of whether it
rains or not.
Major water recycling milestones in Western Australia since 2002
2007 2005 2005 2004 2003 2003 2002
What is water recycling?
A water forum and symposium explored opportunities for water recycling in WA.
The State water strategy was released, with the target to recycle 20% of treated
wastewater by 2012.
Irrigation of McGillivray Oval with treated wastewater from Subiaco wastewater
treatment plant commenced.
The Kwinana Water Reclamation Plant was commissioned, using wastewater from
the Woodman Point wastewater treatment plant.
The Premier’s Water Foundation funded the project Determining Requirements for
Managed Aquifer Recharge in Western Australia.
The Code of practice for reuse of greywater was published by the Department of
Health.
The State water plan 2007 was released, with the target to recycle 30% of
wastewater by 2030.
As well as considering the volumes
of water available for recycling, there
also needs to be consideration and
matching of locations and demand.
For example, industry may require a
large volume of recycled water during
the development or maintenance
of a site, but not on an average
operational day. So we also need to
consider how we use, store or release
recycled water to meet demand and
manage costs.
In 2007 about 17 gigalitres or
12.5 per cent of wastewater was
recycled in the state, an increase from
11.6 per cent in 2006. The strategy
direction provides opportunities to
further increase the percentage of
wastewater recycled, and progress
towards our long-term target.
History of water recycling in Western Australia
In 2003 the State water strategy set an objective to recycle 20 per cent of treated
wastewater produced in WA by 2012. In view of environmental, economic and
public health considerations, the priority for government was for large-scale,
centralised reuse options. It was recognised in the strategy that the Perth
metropolitan area had a key role to play in achieving the target, given the volume of
wastewater available and the demand for water over a variety of uses.
The State water Plan 2007 continued this commitment to water recycling as
central to securing our water future. The water policy framework recognises the
need to ‘Use and recycle water wisely’ as the central objective.
Water policy framework 2007
Deliver
services for
strong and
healthy
communities
Develop
water
resources for
a vibrant
economy
Plan and
manage water
resources
sustainably
Invest in
science,
innovation and
education
Use and
recycle water
wisely
Enhance the
security of
water for the
environment
and use
Percentage of wastewater recycled in Western Australia
This water is largely concentrated
at three major wastewater treatment
plants owned and operated by the
Water Corporation at Woodman
Point (50 gigalitres per annum),
Beenyup (43 gigalitres per annum)
and Subiaco (22 gigalitres per
annum). These plants currently
treat wastewater to a level suitable
for discharge to the ocean, with
some flows being further treated
for recycling. A new wastewater
treatment plant at Alkimos, in Perth’s
north-west corridor, is planned for
completion in 2009. This will treat
up to 58 gigalitres of wastewater per
year by 2050.
Protect
ecosystems,
water quality
and resources
20%
18%
16%
14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
State water recycling strategy
The strategy sets out initiatives to
achieve recycling of 30 per cent
of wastewater by 2030, as called
for in the State water plan 2007, in
a manner that is sustainable and
supported by the community. The
strategy uses case studies from
key water-use sectors to identify
recycling opportunities.
Issues relating to health, community
acceptance, ability to pay and the
availability of water for recycling have
been considered, and these factors
have been used to identify strategy
direction for water recycling in
Western Australia. Any future sources
must be tried and tested to ensure
they are safe and feasible options.
RECYCLING OPPORTUNITIES
Recycled water for industry
Use of recycled water by industry is
a high priority for the community,
government and industry.
The Kwinana industrial area
represents the largest concentration
of industrial activity in the state.
Other heavy industrial centres are
located in Neerabup, Kemerton, the
Burrup Peninsula and Port Hedland.
It is expected that water demands in
these industrial areas will continue to
grow. Recycled water offers a suitable
alternative to meet this growing
demand with some recycled water
already supplied to Kwinana.
Strategy direction
There is an opportunity to increase
the use of recycled water in Western
Australia given the current and future
demand from industry.
Government supports the expansion
of the existing Kwinana Water
Reclamation Plant to 9.6 gigalitres
per annum by 2010. This expansion
will reduce industry’s use of drinkingquality water, freeing it up to meet the
needs of new southern suburbs.
Government will also investigate the
establishment through the Economic
Regulatory Authority of an industrial
tariff to promote the efficient use of
water and the use of recycled water
by industry.
In the future, new heavy and general
industrial areas will be required to
investigate the installation of a third
pipe to distribute recycled water.
Where feasible and cost effective,
existing heavy industrial areas should
be retrofitted to facilitate the use of
recycled water.
Kwinana water
reclamation plant
The Kwinana industrial
area contains the largest
concentration of heavy
and supporting industrial
activity in Western Australia.
This area accounts for
significant economic output,
employment and linkages to
the local community. For more
information on the Kwinana
industrial area, see the Kwinana
Industries Council website
<www.kic.org.au>.
Since 2004, the Kwinana Water
Reclamation Plant has recycled
approximately six gigalitres of
wastewater per year from the
Woodman Point Wastewater
Treatment Plant. The recycled
water is used by major industries
in Kwinana, including BP,
Hismelt, CSBP and Tiwest.
This use of recycled water has
enabled drinking water to be
made available to householders,
that would otherwise have been
used by industry.
Recycled water for
agriculture
In 2005 an estimated 864 gigalitres
of water, or 37 per cent of all water in
Western Australia, was used by the
agricultural sector. Almost all of this
water was used in the relatively highvalue irrigated agricultural sector,
which includes irrigated pasture, turf
farms and horticulture.
Strategy direction
Due to increasing pressure on our
groundwater resources, the state
government is currently investigating
the viability of horticultural precincts.
Water from the new Alkimos
Wastewater Treatment Plant has some
potential for future use in horticulture,
and may be reserved for this purpose.
Water recycling for
agriculture around
Australia
Recycled water is successfully
used around Australia to irrigate
fruit and vegetable growing areas.
This includes Virginia Plains in
South Australia, and Werribee
Farm in Victoria. Produce from
these schemes is retailed in
Australian supermarkets.
Under health regulations
requiring water to be fit-forpurpose, produce that is eaten
raw (such as lettuce, carrots,
strawberries) generally requires
wastewater to be treated to a
higher level. Before any scheme
is progressed, substantial
investigation is required.
Recycled water
for public open space
Public open space provides
important health and lifestyle benefits
for communities. Those surveyed
indicated support for using recycled
water to irrigate public parks, public
playgrounds, sporting grounds and
golf courses, and this already occurs
in many regional towns.
In regional Western Australia about
40 per cent of treated wastewater
is recycled for the irrigation of
public open space. In the Perth
metropolitan area, McGillivray
Oval in Mount Claremont has been
irrigated using treated wastewater
from the Subiaco Wastewater
Treatment Plant since 2004.
With the right management, recycled
water can provide a fit-for-purpose
water source for public open space
on a wider scale.
Stormwater
infiltration
in the City of
Mandurah
Strategy direction
Government encourages the efficient
management of water to irrigate
public open space through the
development and implementation
of water conservation plans. These
plans help communities to prioritise
and water only highly valued areas,
while replacing excess grassed areas
with waterwise surrounds, verges and
public facilities.
Where there is an appropriate water
source, it may be an option to maintain
highly valued public open space with
recycled water.
Recycled water for drinking
underground to test the feasibility
of replenishing groundwater on the
Gnangara Mound. Water from the trial
will not be used for drinking; it will
only be used for research.
The Gnangara groundwater
replenishment trial will increase the
understanding of public-health safety,
technical and economic feasibility,
and the potential for environmental
benefits or impacts. It will also provide
an opportunity for the community
to learn more about groundwater
replenishment. The outcomes of this
trial will influence any further decisions
about recycled water use in the
drinking water supply.
Our booming economy and growing
population means that the demand for
drinking-quality water is increasing.
There is a possibility that recycled
water could contribute to drinking
water supply for Perth, along with
existing sources such as groundwater,
dam water and desalinated ocean
water. This already takes place in a
number of locations around the world.
However, the Government of Western
Australia is committed to testing
under local conditions, to be sure that
this approach is appropriate for our
population and environment.
In recognition of the potential for
water to be recycled for drinking
purposes, water from the Beenyup
Wastewater Treatment Plant will be
reserved for this purpose. This will
ensure that there is a source available
should groundwater replenishment
become an acceptable drinkingwater-supply option in the future.
For more information about
groundwater replenishment, see
<www.watercorporation.com.au>.
Strategy direction
In the average household, around
47 per cent of water use is outside the
home, approximately 14 per cent is
used in the laundry and 12 per cent in
the toilet. This means that potentially
A three-year trial of groundwater
replenishment is being planned
to commence in 2009. This will
inject highly treated wastewater
Recycled water for
households (non-drinking)
73 per cent of household water use
in the average household may not
require treatment to drinking water
standard. The supply of non-drinking
water for some domestic uses is
therefore a possible alternative to the
supply of only drinking water from
the scheme.
A number of water recycling systems
and fit-for-purpose options exist for
residential use, including greywater
systems, community bores and
rainwater tanks. These range in scale
from individual on-site systems to
residential estate systems.
A community survey endorsed the
use of individual home greywater
diversion systems. These are
supported by government waterwise
rebates <www.water.wa.gov.
au> Wise water use> Waterwise
rebates> and 5 Star Plus.
Strategy direction
To integrate and further develop
options for household-scale water
conservation and recycling, an online
waterwise communities toolkit is
being developed.
This toolkit will promote water
conservation and recycling to local
government, developers and other
users. It will provide access to
information on both recycling and wise
water use, including:
• the availability of shallow
groundwater
• the availability of sources for
recycled water
• key land planning considerations
• alternative water solutions including
rainwater tanks, community bores,
greywater and landscaping
• streamlined application and
approval processes.
It is expected that the toolkit will be
online by 2010.
Policy and regulation
National guidance on regulatory
policy for health, environment, water
resource management and pricing
has progressed substantially in
recent years.
The Australian guidelines for water
recycling – Managing health and
environmental risks was released
in November 2006. The guidelines
provide a risk assessment framework
for water recycling, and consider
on-site greywater recycling and
large-scale wastewater recycling
for non-drinking purposes. The
guidelines document is available
at <www.ephc.gov.au/ephc/water
recycling.html>.
A second phase of the Australian
guidelines for water recycling is
currently under development.
This includes guidelines for the
augmentation of drinking water
supplies, guidelines for managed
aquifer recharge and for stormwater
recycling.
At a state level, there is a need to
improve policy and regulation to
facilitate water recycling. Regulatory
issues involve a number of government
areas, including health, environment,
land planning, water resource
management, pricing, water service
provision, infrastructure, building and
plumbing codes. Local government
also has a role in the approval and
provision of recycled water schemes.
Strategy direction
State government agencies in the
areas of health, environment and
water resource management will
review and develop policy in the
next 12 months to support water
recycling, and the outcomes will be
linked to the forthcoming waterwise
communities toolkit.
A review of Water Corporation
charges for extending water
infrastructure to new urban areas will
be undertaken, with consideration
given to reflecting the contribution of
alternative water supplies.
Land planning processes, as related
to water issues, will continue to
be undertaken at early stages with
improved integration at a regional
level to optimise compatible land
uses and provide adequate long-term
investment security. The revision of
building codes through 5 Star Plus will
support the inclusion of complementary
water supplies to meet demand for
external garden use, toilet flushing and
clothes washing.
Implementation
The Department of Water is
the agency responsible for
coordinating and expediting policy
development across government,
and for streamlining administrative
processes for proponents.
To support the department and
other government agencies in the
implementation of the strategy,
government has provided funding
of over $3 million over five years.
This will fund the development of
a waterwise communities toolkit,
detailed policy and a regulatory
framework for water recycling.
TO FIND OUT MORE
The State water recycling strategy
document will be available on the
Department of Water website
<www.water.wa.gov.au> Wise water
use> by the end of June 2008.
As this strategy is implemented, there
will be opportunities for stakeholder
and community involvement.
To find out more,
email [email protected]
or call the Water Recycling and
Efficiency branch on
1800 508 885.
ISBN: 978-1-921508-55-4 (Print) ISBN: 978-1-921508-56-1 (Online)